Avoidance
by eri.her
Summary: Avoidance - the action of keeping away from or not doing something. Rey was rightly avoiding Benjamin Solo. Modern AU set in Australia. Ben is a hot lifeguard. R & R
1. Chapter 1

_Avoidance -_ _the action of keeping away from or not doing something._

She didn't see him until Finn had conveniently insisted they finally head towards the water. They have been at Jan Juc for over an hour, and the weather was fairing towards the hotter side of 30 degrees celsius.

Finn was over sun bathing, there was only so much he could take plus he wanted to see Rose.

She was the latest addition to the Surfers Coast Life Guards, Poe had come home one Thursday afternoon ranting about the recruit. Between 'fiery' and 'Korean BBQ lover' Finn was a goner.

Since that faithful day, he had spent most Saturdays scouting out her watch schedule, claiming innocence when confronted with the borderline harassment.

"it's not harassment, when you're dedicated to pursuing a relationship"

"Finn, that's what all stalkers say," Rey smiled at her friend's dedication/lunacy.

Which had seen them again at Jan Juc beach on this bright Saturday morning, Rey had only confirmed her cooperation under the strict promise that _he_ wouldn't be there.

Poe had confirmed, Benjamin Solo would not be in Torquay for the remainder of January, he was back home in the States visiting his Uncle.

So, it seemed strange that when she and Finn stretched out towards the rolling water, a familiar broad back caught her attention. She shook her head in denial, out of the diverse population in Torquay there had to be another male with a back that pasty and that wide.

She continued, watching as Finn darted towards the swimming Rose. Rose spotted him and smiled, Finn proceeded to stumble and kamikaze into the gathering wave. Rose froze and waded after him.

Rey laughed "the boy has it bad"

The frosty pacific water bit at her ankles, as she proceeded to submerge herself as quickly as possible. The water was the best antidote for the blazing Australian sun.

She had moved to Melbourne, Victoria in the hopes of finding herself. The bustling streets of London had left a deep ache in the void of her loneliness, with that prompting she had gathered her small scraps of life's belongings and bought a one-way ticket to Australia.

She had met Finn and Poe in a backpacker's lodge on day three of her new journey. They had coerced her into moving to the Surf Coast with the temptation of better pay for tourists seeking under the table cash jobs.

Poe was a student pilot gaining his hours and Finn was ... well know one really knew why Finn was there but he seemed semi-sane (apart from their current predicament) and they needed the extra boarder.

She has begun to be able to breathe again, the sea change had done wonders to the ache. The one that had been present her whole life. During the countless moves, the river of new faces as she was passed from foster family to foster family.

 _Breathe._

She dove under the pressing wave, pushing herself further out until her lungs burned with the want of air. Breaking through the surface, she pushed back the darkened locks that clung to her face.

The sea salt momentarily stung her eyes, looking around she took in the multiple surfers wading out to catch the larger waves. A few braver teenagers were near her, including one smaller girl in a Christmas themed floatation donut.

She seemed calm under first observation, but the closer Rey moved towards her, she realised the girl was younger than first anticipated. She couldn't be older than six and her face was blotching red.

Rey turned towards the shore, trying to see if she could spot any concerned parents.

Panic set in when no abruptly troubled faces showed themselves. The girl had drifted further away, Rey compelled herself closer to the girl.

Her lips were bluing, Rey raised her arms and waved with terror "HEY!" "Here! Quick, Emergency!"

She screamed "HELP!" "God, please, someone help," she powered with everything within her towards the girl, the moment she touched the cool plastic of the donut, the girl bowed.

"Sweetheart, hey, wake up!" Rey forced her face up; the girls face was riddled with angry red blemishes and her eyes were rolling. She was in an anaphylactic episode.

Rey laid the girl on herself as she side-stroked faster to the busing crowd that had gathered around the oceanfront. Minutes passed as she pushed and pushed… dragging the girl as recklessly as her body would go. Some concerned swimmers had started to drift towards her.

"Hey, is she okay?" one of the surfers queried.

"Look, I'm not entirely sure how long she's been like this, but I need to get her to the shore as quickly as …" before she could finish her laboured sentence, the lifeless girl was pried from the water

"Rey?" his deep voice boomed over her shocked daze. She begun to shake as the adrenaline soared through her body. She watched as the girl was lifted from her arms onto the red hamboard.

"Rey," Ben quizzed again. "you need to get on Rose's board" nodding, Roses fluorescent board come into view. Heart pounding loudly in her ears, she watched as Rose reached out for her.

"Rey, I need your arms up so its easier for me to grab you," her soft voice was firm in nature, Rey simply obeyed. The flowing fright leaving her in shaking breaks, as the buoyance allowed Rose to easily guide her unto the longboard.

Rey watched ahead, as _that_ familiar back drove onwards. She could make out the crumpled body of the little girl, as her eyes birthed salt laden tears.

"Rose," she weakly eased, as her throat thickened from the building emotions. "do you think she'll be okay?"

Without ceasing, Rose calmly nodded "she been stung, it looks like bluebottle. The coasts called an ambulance, she's going to be fine"

She continued to pound against the waves, as they moved closer to the shore. Ben effortlessly spurred through the breakers, his strong arms muscling the liquid. She noticed his hair had been messily tied into a half knot, keeping his eyes free of obstruction.

"you'll be alright, keep breathing," Rose peeked the mantra at her "keep calm or you'll go into shock,"

Rey nodded again.

 _Breathe_

Ben reached the beach first. The other guards were waiting with a stretcher, they gently removed her from his hamboard and laid her prostrate.

He was by her side, panting heavily as they commenced treatment on her now obvious leg and arm legions.

The girls panicked parents broke through the rabble, "Harper, Oh No!"

"Harper!" the woman wallowed as she observed her eerily still child. "Harper!" she repeated, as she lurched forward trying to crowd her child.

The closest life guard grabbed her gently. "Ma'am please, you need to give them space. She's received a few jellyfish stings and gone into anaphylaxis, but an ambulance is coming," he finished as he guided her back to her shaken husband.

In the next beat Rose had marooned her board, easing her way off to get the shaken girl a towel.

She called out as a fortified Rey blacked out, careening off the beached rescue board. "I need some help here, I think she's gone into shock!"

Rey's final assessment before darkness took her was _that_ back turning to display _that_ face that she had been trying all summer to avoid.

 _That_ face twisted into a grimace of surprise and alarm.

 _That_ mouth that rushed her name.

So much for trying to avoid Benjamin Solo.


	2. Chapter 2

Rey would always have the same reoccurring dream.

She was stranded on a barren rock formed island, the blackness of the mountains brutally contrasting with the vibrant greens of passing shrubbery.

She would breathe, as the salted air hazed her lungs.

And then she would run, run and run until her legs gave way. Run from what, she really didn't know, but she was always anchored with the need to move. To keep going until something changed, until the barrenness of the island gave way to something.

She would often find herself shouting, calling out to the peaks of the hills waiting for something to eclipse them but nothing would appear.

In the end, she would awaken with tears of frustration seeping down her cheeks. Her heart leaving a tattoo on the inside of her chest.

Her tongue heavy in her mouth from screams that were always omitted.

And so, as she awoke, stretching her limbs, phantom by the ache of an unfulfilled strain, she paused when the smell of medical bleach reached her nose.

"Rey!"

"Oh! Thank God, you're finally awake," Finns visage broke through her dimmed vision.

She rubbed at her eyes, trying to elicit moisture to the extremely dry oracles.

"Finn," her throat was dry, leaving the end of his name lost in a mumble "what happened?"

"You passed out, right after Rose got you to shore," he leaned forward, pressing her shoulders back down, keeping her firmly on the bed "don't get up, you need to rest,"

Her body ached, the aftershocks of adrenaline leaving her form in a state of exhausted disarray. She surrendered to the quiet lull of tired muscles and allowed her mind to wander.

"Is the little girl alright?" she queried, pulling the tan cover closer to her neck, fighting off the chill of the hospital.

"She's going to be fine, they were able to get her to the hospital in time to administer epinephrine," he smiled down at her, as relief waved through. "her parents are so grateful Rey, they keep checking in on you. They'd really like to thank you"

Rey inwardly cringed, she wasn't someone who was easily imbibed with compliments "Finn, they really don't need to,"

"You can't avoid this one friend," he paused, contemplating his next words carefully "whether you realise this or not, you did something incredibly selfless today and as uncomfortable as the aftermath may be for you, this is apart of you continuing that selflessness by putting your discomfort aside and allowing this family to appreciate _you_ ,"

Rey moved her face away from him and stared out into the unclouded window. His face was intense as he yet again found a way to disarm her unreasonable strongholds. Strongholds that had been formed in fear and past involvements.

"Finn, I ..." she stuttered "you of all people know how terrible I am at this," she let the pent-up air leave her throat "but, you're right, if they come past let them in," she weakly smiled at him.

Finn knew her story.

He knew that life had never treated her kindly.

He knew about her shadows and the little smudges of darkness that deformed parts of her, that had left her slightly incapacitated. _And yet…_

In knowing all this, he still pushed her to be better. To not allow the brandings of life to leave her scarred and she would always be indebted to him for it.

"Well, now that you are awake, let's get something into you. How does Tim Tams and tea sound?"

He waggled his eyebrows, watching as her face lit up at the simplest joy of the cross-pollinated beverage/confectionary partnering.

"You don't even need to ask," she quipped back beaming heavily, as she observed him retreat to whatever hole held the promised luxuries.

Her eyes than travelled, taking in the russet walls, the aged medical equipment, the empty skeleton of a bed that spoke of the rooms dual occupancy. The popcorn roof that unveiled the true age of the decaying building _definitely 80's_ she thought.

Her gaze continued on as a slightly rusted clock detailed the breaking of the mid-afternoon.

It was 4:11pm, she had been out for three whole hours, groaning she turned to floating bench near her right. Three empty coffee cups were abandoned by her beach towel and bag.

Finns sprouts of anxiety were always accompanied with copious amounts of coffee, she had found that out during the weekend that _shall not be remembered._

She pulled herself up, every muscle protesting in a mix of dull aches and shooting pains. She reached for her bag, bringing it closer to herself so she could riffle around for her phone.

She was almost too scared to see how many messages she had received from work. News travelled fast in the small beachside town, so she was beyond positive that Maz had something to say. The intimate staff at Café Moby had become a sort of rag tag family with Mazine Kanata as the head matriarch.

And sure enough, there taunting her like glaring beacons of concern were _four missed calls_ , _ten text messages_ and _two imessages._

She begins reading.

Kaydel C 2:25pm

Hey hun,

I'm so sorry to ask, but I haven't heard from Poe yet? Do you mind sussing how he thought things went? Love you xx

Rose Tico 3:45pm

Rey, I'm not sure if you're up yet. Just checking to see if you're okay.

Call me if you need anything?

Paige Tico 3:51pm

REY! Rose told me what happened! ARE YOU OKAY? CALL ME?

POE- DIDDY 3:52pm

Dude! Are you alright? I'm trying to get in contact with Finn and he's not answering his phone.

POE- DIDDY 3:53pm

I'll try Finn again. Hope everything's alright Rey.

Paige Tico 3:57pm

?

Paige Tico 4:00pm

Sorry Rey, just spoke to Finn he told me you were still out. CALL ME WHEN YOU WAKE UP.

POE- DIDDY 4:04pm

WOW lady! Spoke to Finn, you go Miss Incredible… saving lives. Dinners on me tonight 😊

Kaydel C 4:08pm

Oh my gosh Rey! Poe just told me what happened today. You are so incredible.

I'll come past once you're feeling better.

And all good on the Poe front, we're going out again Tuesday. YAY!

Maz Kanata 4:11pm

Rey, please give me a call when you're up and about. Chewie and I would like to come to see you.

I am glad to hear that you are doing well.

Praying for you.

Rey smiled, the sea of concern slowly eating away at the darkness. She responded to each text reassuring the recipients that she was well and resting and would be in contact with them soon.

Maz had left two voice messages, both reiterating her deep concern and slightly chastising in tone.

Poe's 3 minute voice mail was a poor rendition of the Rembrandts 'I'll be there for you'

The last message was from an unknown number. Before she could play it, Finn waltzed back in with a packet of Tim Tam's, a tea and two dark haired strangers.

"Hey friend, this is Margot and Dan Davies, they are Harpers parents," he coyly stepped to the side to the let the paled parents meander forward.

Rey made a measly attempt at righting her thoroughly dishevelled hair.

"Oh, please don't," she worded reassuringly "we just wanted to thank you," she paused, the emotions of the day getting the better of her "you have no idea how grateful we are," her husband squeezed her arm comfortingly.

"Harper wanted us to give you this," he handed her a small note, turning it over she was met with a colourful depiction of, what she assumed, would be everything found in a six years old's mind (butterflies and love hearts galore)

Underneath the drawings, was a small slanted script _thank you for saving me._

Rey's heart hammered again, as her eyes began to dampen "thank you, tell her I am so glad she's feeling better," she feebly smiled at the parents as they quietly conversed with Finn before exiting the room.

"See, that wasn't so bad," he teased, placing the hot tea in her outstretched hand, freeing himself up to open the treasured chocolate confectionary. He handed her one, whilst chewing on his own.

"I see you've found your phone,"

"I had to get Paige to promise to not stake out the front of the hospital,"

Rey laughed envisioning her best friend setting up tent in the parking area "how you managed that is beyond me," she finished, catching the last bits of biscuit before they disintegrated into the abyss of her tea.

Finn chuckled "I have a secret weapon," dropping down into the nearest chair to her "I have come to realise that only one, Roselyn Mae Tico can unman her sister,"

"Roselyn Mae?" she questioned

"Yep! And she has agreed to join me for a coffee next Saturday," Finn's face beamed as he worked through another biscuit. Cheeks slightly tinting at the confession

"Well done Finn, I'm so impressed," she continued "look at you, I'm out cold and you're concurring your fears" he pulled a face at her innocent teasing.

"I know, who would have thought that you being incapacitated would set up the perfect opportunity for our romance to finally bloom,"

A belly laugh rolled out her mouth before she had time to halt it. It waved through her, revitalising her as it traversed her form.

Finn joined in, allowing their joint joy to elicit a warm mirth from him.

Time passed in silent cordiality as Finn organised Rey's discharge. The rostered nurse came to assess her vitals, which showed her present state of stability. She was finally allowed to check out.

Poe would pick up the two shortly, bringing with him a change of clothing for the decidedly underdressed girl.

Reaching again for her phone, the one under read voice mail seemingly tainted her "Finn, do you have this number?" She rattled off the ten digit figure. Waiting, as her companion checked his own device.

"No, I'm sorry, I don't" pausing he peered over her shoulder, eyeing the offensive 43 sec message. "Well, what are you waiting for"

"I'm sure it's nothing," she vied, calmly allowing the held passage to play.

 _Hi Rey._

The familiar baritone voice made her instantly ice over.

"Rey, is that..." Finn stopped at her upheld hand

 _It's Ben, I'm sorry for calling you._ She could hear the strain in his voice, even over the muffle of the receiver

 _I just wanted to make sure you were okay._

 _You really had me worried there._

Another long pause ensued

 _I know you don't really want to see me, but yeah... I just want you to know that I'm here. If you want to talk_.

The room hauntingly stilled, so much so that the pushing of a trolley three rooms down deafened the silence.

Her finger was perched above the replay icon, suspended by the phantom tendrils of fear and the brokenness of this distinct reality.

She could almost taste Finn's awkwardness, looking up she observed his mouth gaping trying to wrestle with the words that weren't forming.

"Wow.. that's .. yep" he proceed to stumble over an incessant amount of 'oh wow' and 'that's strange'

Thankfully his phone blared to life, ending the ensuring permanent damage that would have incurred with the excessive degree of facial contortions.

"Poe!" He startled "sorry! I didn't mean to shout"

"Yes, we're on our way"

He scrambled around the room, hoisting Rey's beach bag over his shoulder. Motioning for her to follow, she began to pace forward, tightening the tan blanket around her body.

The nurse had kindly allowed her to keep the article, sympathise with her uncovered state.

She weighted herself against Finns arm, as he lead her through the unpleasant labyrinth. Neither of them mentioning what had transpired moments before.

Poe was ambling about in emergency, spotting them, his face broke out in a dastardly smirk "Kid, I've seen you look better"

Fighting back a scowl, Rey punched his shoulder "don't be such a twat" laughing, he gently herded her into the back of his 1997 Toyota Corolla.

"I see hospitals done nothing for that disgraceful mouth of yours" he teased, pulling the car smoothly out it's waiting bay.

"So, how was your stay?"

The trip back to their shared dwelling passed without much event. Poe detailed the happenings of the day between her subsequential heroics and following downfall.

Paige had been busy, calling her workplace, the hospital, Finn, Poe, Rose and anyone who may have seen, or even smelt Rey in the last 5 hours.

 _I need to call her_ she promised, shuffling her way through the automated doors to their apartment building.

Finn slowly transcended behind her, carefully watching her like a doe examining its offspring.

"Finn, stop fussing please," she pressed him ahead of her. He walked on, reaching the elevator just in time to hold it open for her.

Their apartment was situated on the fourth floor, so the traverse wasn't a consuming stint.

Poe had kindly offered (or rather sorely lost at rock, paper, scissors) to get them dinner.

The elevator chimed at its arrival, Finn was overly animated as he retold his dalliance with Rose. Taking the bend that would lead them to their joint domicile Rey repressed at the broad back she had become eerily acquainted with.

He was leaning up against the door of her apartment. Casually scrolling through his phone as if he's very presence didn't offend.

As if, she hadn't made it irrefutably clear that he was from hence forth non-existent. In the no mans land of unavoidable exile.

As if, he hadn't broken her heart.

As if... _breathe_

Finn wavered beside her, his face once again contorting _"_ If you open your mouth, I swear I will hurt you"

In that juncture Ben raised his gaze, he's face ashen in worry "Rey" he straightened, slowly moving towards her as if facing down a rabid dog.

"Ben, what are you doing here?" She distanced herself, barring him with Finns body "I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you anymore"

He recoiled as if wounded, as if she still held some power over him "I just wanted to check... just to see if you were alright"

He paced forward again, shaking off the fear, almost spared with a determined thrill.

"You've been avoiding me for months Rey, don't you think it's a bit unfair that you've never given me the opportunity to explain"

Face reddening, Rey pushed past the immobile Finn, who in his previous knowledge could assume the totalling aftermath.

Forcibly dragging her back before she could menace any further. Finn spoke "Before this turns into a bloodbath, why don't we all be civil adults and go inside and let you and Rey talk it out"

"I don't want to talk it out" Rey bite back childishly. _Maybe that was the drugs_

Obediently both adults followed.

 _Breathe_


End file.
